


Revision: The Dream Lady

by LizzeXX



Series: The Academic Series [9]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amy needs a hug, Amy's Choice, Best Friends, Beware of Hexa, Character Death In Dream, Drama, Dream World, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gallifrey, Hunter vs. Prey, Hurt/Comfort, Interrogation, Kata - Freeform, Keta, Keta dream world, Keta share a brain, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Past Relationship(s), Psychological Torture, Rewrite of Amy's Choice, Romance, Rory needs a bear hug, The Academic Series, The Dream Lady, The Professor's Darkness comes out to play, Theta/Kata, Threats of Violence, Time Travel, Torture, Violence, Weapon use, doctor who - Freeform, space travel, time lady - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-22 12:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15582252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzeXX/pseuds/LizzeXX
Summary: "Just be glad the psychic pollen got the Doctor and not me," the Professor said, "I guarantee you wouldn't have survived my darkness."What would happen if there was no Dream Lord but a Dream Lady?A revision of Amy's Choice based on the Professor of my Academic Series, Chapter 7 of Revitalization.





	1. The Dream Lady - Part One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello! This story is a revision of the episode Amy's Choice to see how it might be different if my OC/Time Lady the Professor was the one to be infected with the psychic pollen instead of the Doctor and since she is different than the Doctor, this chapter will be very different than the episode. Since this is taking place semi-in medias res in terms of my revision of the show, I throw a lot of references to scenes and events that take place in my Academic Series (Reunion to Remembrance, six stories). It is written on the assumption that the reader knows who the Professor is so it might be better to read that first to truly understand why certain events happen in this revision.
> 
> I mentioned in my Amy's Choice chapter (of Revitalization) that I believed the Professor would never put the Doctor in danger and that Amy and Rory would be left to deal with her darkness themselves, here we will see this come into play. He is in one dream world, they are in another and with her mind I could see none of them realizing it's a dream, unlike in the actual episode. I'm making this a 4-chapter story, semi-short chapters, because I want to make it more like an episode, ending on cliffhangers/'commercials' and such. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.

The Doctor rolled over in bed, his arm automatically moving to wrap around the warm body next to him, pulling the woman closer as he snuggled his face into her hair, the faint burnt orange light growing stronger as it filtered in through the windows. He scrunched his face as he tried to keep asleep, not wanting the dream to end, not wanting to wake up in the dark room of the TARDIS…

"Morning Theta," a voice whispered to him, the woman turning in his arms to face him, resting her forehead against his own, still half asleep herself.

He sighed internally, the dream could go on no longer. He slowly opened his eyes and looked into the sparkling gray eyes of the Professor across from him. He frowned a moment, gray eyes? He reached out hesitantly, pushing a lock of golden hair behind her ear and blinked, shouldn't her hair be more of a strawberry blonde? And the light…that burnt orange light…

He shot up in bed, their sheets falling off his bare chest, and turned, looking out the window to see the second sun was just rising in the south, the view out their window of the mountains was breathtaking, the silver-leafed trees glowing in the dawn, shining a warm light into the room, an incredible sight to wake up to.

"Theta?" the Professor whispered, pushing herself up to look at him, more awake now from the sudden move, "Are you alright?"

"What…" he breathed, shaking his head. He blinked a few times before running a hand through his hair, feeling oddly like it should have been more floppy, for lack of a better word, his racing hearts starting to slow, "Yes…yes I'm fine Kata."

She scooted closer, making sure to hold their sheets up more, knowing how distracted he could get when he saw her like that, and reached out, cupping his cheek to turn his face to her, looking at him softly, searching his eyes, "What's wrong?"

He smiled softly at her and reached up, pressing her hand to his cheek, he never could hide anything from her, "Just a dream dear," he leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"What about?" she asked, smiling as he pulled away.

He blushed faintly, "It's going to sound silly, well...mad actually..."

She gave him a gentle laugh, "Which is one of the reasons I Bonded to you," she told him, "My madman…"

"My Academic," he whispered, kissing her again. It had been a  _very_  close call. She had been invited to the Academic program just after she graduated and actually planned to tell them no. It was nearly unheard of for a potential Academic to say no. They'd very nearly had a row about it, in fact, it had been her  _dream_  to be one, and there she was, about to turn it down, for him he later discovered. In the middle of their argument she'd basically shouted that she hadn't wanted to spend the last two years of her schooling away from him let alone another 200!

And then she'd kissed him.

And, in being true to himself, he'd forced her to accept while also convincing her to break the rules. They'd begun a whirlwind romance, full of secret meetings, messages, dates, nights…it had been one of the most exciting times of his life. 200 years of  _nearly_  getting caught, but if there was one thing they were good at, it was sneaking around and getting into all sorts of trouble without getting caught. He'd gotten a position in Intergalactic Relations, to hold his mind during the times when they really couldn't be together and it had kept him sufficiently distracted, whizzing about the Universe, trying to help keep peace and maintain the timelines.

As soon as she'd graduated as an Academic, they were  _free_. They'd Bonded within an hour of the graduation ceremony finishing and wasted no time in beginning their lives together, officially joining their families together. Within a week they'd discovered that their family would be growing, the Professor was pregnant and he'd never been so happy. She'd gotten their families together and announced it there, having not even told him till then. His brother had timed it, he'd hugged her for nearly seven minutes, kissed her thoroughly for six and a half.

And then their first child had been born, and then their second, and third, and their most recent child, who had only just turned eight. Four children in a little more than three hundred years, most families only ever tried for two, but it hadn't bothered them, they wanted a large family, they loved each and every one of their children with both their hearts and then some.

"Theta?" she asked softly, seeing him getting lost in thought.

He shook his head and smiled at her, "I was dreaming that you and I were whizzing off in a TARDIS, through the galaxies, having adventures like we talked about in school."

She gave a little laugh, "Well we're set to start one next holiday," she rubbed his back a bit, feeling him shiver as she touched his bare skin, "Not quite how we envisioned it…"

"But so much better," he agreed, kissing her forehead.

They went on trips across the Universe every holiday. When their children came home from school, they went off as a family, and they were some of the  _best_  times they'd ever had. Not quite how they'd dreamed of when they were children, just the two of them, but now with their children, who were quite the handful when they got started. All of them were just as much of a handful as their father, but just as brilliant as their mother. A fascinating combination.

"There's more though, isn't there?" she tilted her head, her hair falling over her shoulder like a waterfall.

"We had two others with us," he nodded, thinking back to the dream that was rapidly fading, "Humans, I think. They were our friends. Our Companions."

"What were they like?"

He smiled at her, she was always so curious to hear his dreams, "They were to be married," he paused in thought, straining to remember, "She had red hair…he had a…" his smile turned into a smirk, "Schnoz."

"You are  _terrible_ ," she laughed, leave it to him to make fun of someone's nose while also teasing her about when she'd tried to pick a name for herself.

"And you love me anyway," he whispered, kissing her again. God, he could spend the rest of his lives doing that, kissing his beautiful Bonded.

She reached up, running a hand through his slightly long brown hair which naturally seemed to slick back without use of products. She pulled away a moment later, her hand resting on his chest as she stared into his brown eyes, "Come on love," she started to get up, taking the sheet with her, "We have much to do today."

"No."

She paused and looked back at him, laughing, "No?"

His smirk grew far too devious and saucy for her virtue to be safe she knew…

"No," he whispered and, before she could even react, he'd reached out and pulled her back onto the bed, tickling her sides as she squirmed with laughter before that was muffled by his lips as he rolled them over on the bed…

~8~

Amy winced as she rolled onto her back, reaching up to rub her forehead, her eyes closed tightly. Her head was pounding! She blinked blearily, frowning when she saw she was in some sort of white room. She frowned, sitting up quickly and looking around. No, she was in a white corridor. The floors were black, the walls white along with the ceiling which also had a line of lighting running along it. She looked behind her to see a wall but before her was the rest of the hall. She was standing in a dead end.

"What?" she breathed, pushing herself up. She walked over to the walls, pushing on them lightly, resting an ear on them and knocking, just testing them. They were real, wherever she was…

"Doctor?" she called, turning in a circle as though he might be hiding behind her, but there was no one, "Rory?" she added after a moment, but there was no reply, "Professor! Doctor, what's going on?"

There was only silence and the faint buzzing of the lights above her.

She sighed, rolling her eyes at this. The Doctor must have gotten them lost somewhere…again…

She shook her head and headed down the corridor, no other place to go regardless. She paused at the end, seeing that she was at a T junction, a hall to her left and one to her right, both with turns at the end of them. She hesitated, glancing left and then right before heading left quickly.

She wandered down a few more halls, took a few more turns, before she heard something hissing. She turned a corner and gasped, finding herself face to face with Prisoner Zero!

"Silence will fall!" Zero hissed, baring its teeth at her before lunging at her.

She screamed and jumped back, turning to run down the halls, but she could hear him crashing after her, "Doctor!" she screamed, "Professor! Help!" she stumbled and fell, Zero reaching her, biting down hard on her right leg. She screamed, kicking him with her other leg before scrambling to her feet and limping off around a corner, rushing down the corridor to another turn, flying around it and pressing herself against the wall, panting as she listened, waiting…

After a few moments of silence, she turned and peeked around the corner to see that Zero hadn't followed her. She let out a breath of relief before looking down at her leg, it was bleeding a bit. She winced, sliding down the wall, her leg out before her. She pulled off her scarf and wound it around her leg, tying it as tightly as she could. She let out a shuddering breath as she sat there, shaking, whatever it was she was expecting, seeing Zero again and getting bitten hadn't been it.

Where was she? What was going on? Where was the Doctor?

She swallowed hard, pushing herself to her feet, using the wall behind her as support. She put a bit of pressure on her leg, standing on it more, only to wince and shift her weight back to her left foot. Ok then, she was standing in a series of halls, with an injured leg she could barely stand on, with Prisoner Zero somewhere out there, and the Doctor nowhere to be seen…no problem…

She mentally smacked herself before shaking her head. Big problem. But she knew she couldn't just stand there and wait for Zero to find her again. She took a breath and pushed off the wall, wincing as she tried walking on, limping so as not to put too much pressure on her leg.

She placed a hand on the wall, using it for support and stability as she continued on. She took a step around a corner and gasped as something whizzed past her. She looked to her left to see an arrow embedded in the wall just beside her head. There was another whizzing and an arrow landed just by her right hand. She quickly fell to the floor and scurried back around the corner, peeking around it to see a wall at the end of the hall had a number of holes in it from which arrows were flying out.

She caught her breath a moment before quickly getting up again, rushing down the hall as fast as she could, about to turn around the corner before stopping. She cautiously looked around it and glanced at the walls, seeing nothing there and hoped it was safe. She stepped around and hurried down the hall.

She moved around another corner to see it was a partial dead end, more like an alcove really with what looked like a large TV monitor in the wall, "Hello?" she called, reaching out to feel along the sides of it, looking for a button that would turn it on, hoping it was a communication device or something, "Hello? Is anyone there? Where am I? What's going on? Hello! Doctor?"

But the monitor remained off.

She sighed, "Stupid," she muttered to herself before smacking the screen, "Rubbish you are!" and turning to continue on back down the halls, cautiously peeking around the corners.

Wherever she was, she needed to get out of there fast.

~8~

Rory woke with a gasp, jolting up before rubbing his forehead as he bashed it on something above him. He winced, looking up and around, confused, he appeared to be in a room, dimly lit by a few dangling lights. He squirmed a bit, seeing that he was lying in what looked like a wooden rectangular box with one side missing. He shimmied out to his right and ended up rolling off the side of it, falling to the floor on his back with a groan. He stood up, using the edge of the box for support to see it wasn't a box. It was more like an enlarged bookshelf big enough for someone to lie in. He frowned and turned around, eyeing the rest of the room, there were no windows he could see and only one door at the other end of the room, across from him. He stepped past the 'bookshelf' to see there were actually rows and rows of them set up in the room, some with a single meager blanket lying there. Other than that, the room was empty.

He cautiously walked over to the door, trying it, but, of course, it was locked. He sighed and walked over to the 'bookshelf' closest to the door, sitting down and leaning back against the corner of it as he stared at the door, waiting. Wherever he was, someone had put him there and if they locked the door, they didn't want him to leave, so they must want him for something. And if they wanted him, they would come to him. All he could do for now was wait.

Besides, it wasn't like he was the Doctor, he didn't have a sonic to open the lock with.

~8~

The Professor hummed lightly to herself, a soft tune of her own, as she stood in their kitchen, making breakfast. She couldn't help but smile as she felt his eyes on her. She glanced over her shoulder to see her handsome Bonded leaning against the doorframe to the room, watching her intently. But she blinked, seeing the thoughtful, nearly sad look on his face.

She turned the heat down so as not to burn anything before she turned and walked over to him, draping her arms around his neck as he stood straight, his hands moving to her waist, pulling her closer, "What is it Theta?"

He gave her a soft smile, "It's just that dream…" he sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head against her forehead, pulling her closer still.

"What else was troubling about it?" she asked, moving one of her hands to his cheek, cupping it as he looked at her, "Was it a nightmare?"

"It's hard to say," he admitted, "The dream itself wasn't bad," he smiled a bit, "I'd taken you to Earth, to Venice," he recalled, "You were cross with me and I desperately wanted my sweet little Bonded back," she laughed at that as he smiled at her, "It was also a wedding gift for our Companions too…"

She blinked, waiting for him to continue, but he didn't. Instead he just reached out and gently began to trace her face, staring at her with a slightly furrowed brow, concentrating. She waited a few more moments before reaching up and taking his hand, kissing his knuckles, "Something about my appearance is troubling you," she reasoned. He smiled, she was always so remarkable at reading him, at guessing his thoughts even when not reading them, at working out a situation from just a few clues, "Had I regenerated in this dream of yours?"

He nodded, his expression saddening, "Nearly a dozen times."

Her eyes widened a bit at that, "So many?"

It was hard to believe that she'd regenerated so often, they were both still on their first incarnations and had no plans on doing anything to jeopardize that. They wanted to be around as long as they could, watch their family grow and grow, be a part of the lives of their children, their children's children, and so on.

"I had as well," he told her, "The same amount. In fact," he squinted, as though trying to remember a specific detail, "We'd both regenerated into our eleventh bodies together."

She gave him a happy smile and kissed him quickly, "There, you see? Not such a nightmare was it?" she turned and headed back to the slowly cooking food.

"It's not a nightmare to be so near the end of our regenerations?" he called, watching her go.

"It's not a nightmare to start another life along with you," she corrected.

He couldn't help but smile at that. There was his Kata, his optimistic Kata, she always could see the best in a dark situation, look to the brighter side. He walked over to her, coming up behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her back to his chest and watching her cook as he rested his chin on her shoulder, dropping a little kiss to her neck, making her laugh at the tickling sensation.

He nuzzled the side of her neck, his one kiss turning into a trail of little ones. He smirked, feeling her shiver in his arms, "You should stop," she whispered, though she made no move to make him do so.

He grinned, nibbling on her ear, "And why's that?"

Her gaze flickered to a clock on the wall, "I doubt you'd want to scar your son," she remarked jokingly.

And sure enough, not five seconds later, there was a door slam above them and quick, tiny thumpings on the stairs.

He stepped back and turned around just as a little boy with curly chocolate brown hair and gray eyes appeared in the doorway and ran for him, "Daddy!" the boy shouted, dashing over, his arms wide.

The Doctor grinned widely, scooping the boy up into his arms, "How's my little Sigma doing this fine morning?" he asked, tickling his son's stomach, making the boy squeal a bit in laughter, "You excited for today boyo?"

"Uh huh," Sigma nodded quickly, very,  _very_  excited for what he knew would be coming, "Can we go now daddy? Please!"

He opened his mouth, about to agree, he never had been one to say no to his children, but thankfully his lovely Bonded had a firmer resolve, "Not just yet Sigma," the Professor walked over, kissing her son's temple, "First you must eat your breakfast and I expect you to finish all of it and your Guvino juice mister."

"But mummy…" Sigma turned to her.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, "Mummy…"

He and Sigma exchanged a look before turning to her with sad eyes and little pouts on their faces. She just laughed and shook her head, "I invented that look," she reminded them, "Doesn't work on me boys."

The Doctor sighed and turned to his son, "Your mummy's right," he told Sigma, tapping his stomach, "Let's get some food in you first and then we'll be all set to go."

"Promise?" Sigma looked at him.

"It's tradition," he smiled.

Sigma nodded and squirmed till he was set down before dashing out of the room to wait in the dining room.

The Professor shook her head at him, "What?" he asked, seeing her fond look.

"He is YOUR son," she told him, "Running everywhere."

He laughed and walked over, taking her hand and kissing her palm, "He's YOUR son too," he whispered, "Those sad eyes would do me."

She shook her head and turned off the heat, their breakfast all ready for the start of their last day with their son.

~8~

Amy groaned a bit as she wandered down what must have been the hundredth hallway, her leg was tingling, nearly numb now from the constant walking on it. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, she knew it couldn't be good that she couldn't feel her leg anymore, but then again…it did hurt less…

"Doctor?" she called, still trying to find them, "Doctor! Rory! Professor?"

She didn't know why she kept calling out, no one had answered her so far.

She stepped past another wall with a monitor on it, turning around a corner only to gasp and fall to the floor as a light shot at her. She looked up from where she'd fallen on her stomach to see four Daleks trundling towards her.

"Exterminate!" they shouted, aiming their laser arms at her and firing.

She rolled back, moving to a sit, and scrambling back and away from them. But they kept on at her. She turned and crawled towards the corner once more, using the wall to pull herself to her feet.

"Exterminate!" one shouted and a laser shot past her, narrowly missing her ear.

She screamed, running down the hall but the Daleks followed. She ran as fast as she could, down as many halls, around corners, but she could still hear them, their lasers still firing at her. She dashed around another corner, not bothering to check if there was any hidden danger behind it, what could possibly be worse than Daleks anyway? And then she found out just what, she'd run into another wall a few feet in...a dead end with Daleks behind her, definitely worse than just Daleks.

"No!" she shouted, banging on it.

"Exterminate!"

She closed her eyes tightly, trapped…

"Extermin…"

But then a whooshing noise sounded, cutting off the Daleks. She opened her eyes and spun around, only to see a wall behind her where there hadn't been before. She ran over to it, pressing her hands on it, moving them around, trying to find some sort of switch, some sort of trigger, to open the wall again, but there was nothing.

"Doctor!" she shouted, banging on the wall, "Doctor help! I'm trapped! Doctor!"

There was still no reply.

She let her head fall against the wall, resting her forehead against the white metal, shaking her head in despair. What was she going to do now? She was trapped, there was a wall behind her, two on either side and now one before her…how was she going to get herself out of this mess?

She sighed, turning to rest her back against the wall instead, when something caught her eye. She looked up to see a familiar button sticking out of the wall before her, a 'Forget' button, like the ones on the Starship UK. She frowned and walked towards it, eyeing it closely, looking at the wall, it hadn't been there before. She KNEW it hadn't…

She turned back around, not about to press it and forget what she'd seen, Daleks and Prisoner Zero hunting her, only to stop short. Now there was a booth with a Happy Smiler sitting in it across from her.

"What is going on?" she demanded, stepping closer to the Smiler, "Why am I here? What happened?" the Smiler's face turned to Angry, "No!" she nearly stomped her foot, "You tell me what's going on! Now!"

That hadn't been the  _best_  thing to say, for a moment later the Smiler's face turned to Very Angry and the booth started to open. She stumbled back as the Smiler stepped out of the booth and advanced on her.

"Stop it!" she shouted, moving back until her back hit the wall, just beside the 'Forget' button, "Leave me alone!"

But the Smiler just kept coming. It reached out for her and she quickly moved to the side, out of its grasp. She ran back to the wall where its booth was stationed and hit it, "Help!" she yelled, "Please help! Doctor! Professor!"

She turned around and the Smiler was now walking towards her again. She looked around for anything to help, but there was just the booth. She started breathing heavily as it got closer before she grabbed at the booth, using it as leverage as she kicked at the Smiler with both legs. She winced, nearly falling to the floor as a pain shot up her injured leg, but it worked.

The Smiler stumbled back from the force of the kick and hit the 'Forget' button itself, slumping down the wall. The wall to the right slid open to reveal another set of halls and she quickly limped towards it, the wall sliding shut behind her once more.

She let out a relieved breath, happy to no longer be trapped in the little room despite still being trapped in wherever she was. She hugged herself though, if the Daleks and Zero and the Smilers were there…what else was hiding around the corners and down the halls…

"Exterminate!" she heard the Daleks cry as they trundled around the corner to her right.

She turned and fled down the nearest corner, just narrowly avoiding a laser that singed her hair.

~8~

Rory looked up as the door creaked open. A rather severe older woman with reddish hair pulled back into a tight bun and rectangular glasses in a black pantsuit stepped in, what looked like a small car antenna in her hand. She closed the door and leaned against it, crossing her arms as she eyed him.

"Um…hello?" he offered, getting up, not really sure what was happening.

"Mr. Rory Williams," the woman remarked, eyeing him, "I've been waiting for you."

"Um, you have?" he didn't quite feel very good about that little fact.

She nodded, "You have something I want."

"What?" he frowned.

"Information."

He blinked, "Um, I think you might have me confused with the Doctor, he's the one who tends to know things…"

"No, he actually knows fairly little about this."

"About what?"

"Amelia Pond."

Rory swallowed hard, a pit forming in his stomach, "What about her?"

"You know her, yes? You're her fiancé?"

"Last time I checked," he answered hesitantly, with the Doctor in the picture, he wasn't always certain how long it would last even with the Professor being there.

The woman smiled, a rather terrifying one if he had to describe it, "Excellent."

"W-why's that?" he eyed her warily.

She stepped closer, "It's alright Mr. Williams, just tell me one little thing and you're free to go."

The pit grew, "What thing?"

"What does Amy fear the most?"

He let out a nervous laugh, "Why would I tell you that?"

She tilted her head, "Well, if you want to make it out of here alive…"

He swallowed hard and shook his head, "No, no thanks…I'll just be leaving now…"

He moved to step for the door, but the woman just reached out and stuck him with the antenna. He fell to the floor as electricity coursed through him, making him strain and groan, leaving him shaking and panting when she pulled it away.

She sighed, "I was  _so_  hoping to do this the easy way," she stepped over to him, looking down at him, "Pity."

And stuck him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all curious now, about what's going on, where everyone is, what their dream worlds are about. I also hope that it's off to a good start. I was trying to keep this chapter as 'light' as I could since the episode began on a fairly light note, it'll definitely be getting worse for our Companions next chapter. Hopefully any confusing things will be explained by the time the story is over :)
> 
> This version of Amy's Choice was actually really hard to write. With all the Professor's seen and done, it was really hard to keep her Dream persona from going completely evil, I'm not sure I succeeded or if I even really wanted to. The Master himself admitted that the Professor would often figure out his schemes and tricks before even the Doctor and best him at quite a lot, so I can imagine, if she were ever to 'join the dark side' that she might even be worse than the Master, but luckily she's got the Doctor to ground her and remind her of all the good there is in her and the Universe.
> 
> For a reference, the woman I picture to be the Dream Lady would be similar to Anne Robinson from Weakest Link, more specifically I picture her from the episode involving the Doctor Who cast ;)


	2. The Dream Lady - Part Two

They walked down the little earthy path in the forest, Sigma swinging from between their hands, hopping up with every other step to swing between his parents. The Doctor looked over, his right hand holding the Earth picnic basket firmly, to the Professor as she smiled back at him, their blanket that had seen better days folded delicately in her left hand, now with quite a few patches stitched into it.

It was a tradition in their little family, to visit this spot the day their children were to enter the Academy. They spent the entire day with their child, just the three of them, making a lovely, treasured memory for their children before they left home for the first time. They wanted their children to know how much they were loved and how much their parents would miss them when they went away to school.

It had been his idea to do this. When their first child was to enter the Academy, they'd gone through the phase of not wanting them to leave, of not wanting them to grow up. He knew that the Professor hadn't had the best memories before she went to the Academy and he would be damned if he let their child go off like that. No, he wanted to have a special memory to hold onto, both for them and their child, a family moment, a family bond growing stronger.

"Are we almost there mummy?" Sigma asked, looking up at his mother.

The Professor smiled down at him, "Almost."

Sigma grinned widely, very excited to  _finally_  see the special spot. It was a spot in the forests that his mummy and daddy  _always_  visited, especially during this time of year, when the Pika flowers bloomed. He knew his mummy loved those flowers very much, they were her favorites, and that this was a special spot his daddy had found for her that was surrounded by the blossoms. He hadn't gotten to see it yet, it being a very special spot. It was actually very near the Academy that he'd soon be attending. This would be his first time going to the spot, it was tradition for the child at the time to visit there just before they left for the Academy. His siblings had all gone there he knew, but no one ever talked about it around him, none of them wanted to ruin the surprise.

The Doctor looked over at the Professor once more, the two of them nodding before he handed her the picnic basket, scooping Sigma up into his arms as they neared the little clearing, "Ready?" he whispered to his son.

Sigma nodded excitedly and the Doctor put a hand over the boy's eyes, pushing through a small bush and into the clearing. He pulled his hand away and Sigma gasped, staring around, wide eyed, surprised indeed. It was a lovely spot, with Pika trees around them, a large rock that could be sat upon at one end. There was even a tiny stream along the one side. It was a very small clearing, just big enough for their small family with room enough for him to play as well.

He squirmed in his father's hold and was set down, running off into the clearing as his parents laughed and set up the blanket and basket. He rushed over to a Pika tree with branches hanging low enough for him to easily reach, managing to pluck a small blossom before running back to his parents. He tugged on his mother's sleeve and the Proessor turned, kneeling before him as he held out the blossom to her, "For you mummy."

"Thank you Sigma," she whispered, smiling as she brushed her fingers through her son's thick hair, "I love it," she took the flower and put it behind her ear making Sigma beam at her.

"All…done…" the Doctor cheered, setting up the last of their picnic area. Sigma ran over to his father's side, kneeling down and opening the basket, eager to help his father get the food ready. And then they were all sitting on the blanket, eating their nice little packed lunch, laughing, joking, talking about the Academy, and before they knew it, they were sitting back against the rock, the Professor between the Doctor's legs, his arms around her, resting against his chest while they watched Sigma running around the end of the clearing, chasing a small group of little winged insects with shimmering wings.

The Professor smiled as she watched him, so energetic, just like her Theta was as a child, like he still was. She shifted a bit and looked up at him, rubbing her nose lightly under his chin before watching his expression, it was one of her favorite hobbies, gazing at him when he wasn't looking. He looked so happy, watching their son frolic so freely, laughing and grinning and happy.

"Everything was gone," he said softly, before looking down at her, "In my dream," he added, seeing her confused expression. She nodded, encouraging him to go on, "The planet was gone," he continued, "Everyone was dead, it was just us left…and I  _made_  it happen," he swallowed hard, his arms tightening around her, "I used 'The Moment' to lock the planet away just after the High Council decided to rip the Vortex apart. The planet burned, and…I made it happen."

"Theta," she breathed, turning in his arms so she was kneeling before him, hearing his voice breaking, seeing tears appear in his eyes, "Theta, we're fine, everything is alright," she put her hand on his cheek and moved his face to look at her as she smiled reassuringly at him, "I'm here, you're here, everything is fine, look," she gazed around at the silver leaves on the trees, the two suns in the burnt orange sky, the mountains in the distance, "It was  _just_  a nightmare," she whispered.

He reached out and stroked her cheek, looking at her with such anguish and such disbelief, as though he almost couldn't believe she was alive and well and that they were really there in this moment, that it HAD been a dream, "I thought you were dead," he said, so softly she'd nearly missed it, "I thought you'd died and I…I couldn't bear it Kata," the tears were back, "I burned the planet because it took you from me. The High Council they…" he swallowed hard.

"They what?" she asked, knowing he needed to get this all out. The dream would keep haunting him if he didn't talk about it, "What did they do to me Theta?"

"They hurt you," he whispered, shaking his head, "And I wasn't there to stop them. They pushed you and they tortured you, they twisted you into a soldier. Just to get me to fight for them. They used you…they forced you to regenerate..."

"But I'm fine," she took his hand and placed it on the center of her chest, letting him feel her hearts beating, "And you're fine. Theta," she leaned forward and rested her head against his forehead, "It was a dream. A nightmare, but just that," she smiled softly at him, "It isn't real," she leaned in again and kissed him deeply, " _This_  is real."

He nodded, resting his forehead to hers, his eyes closed as he composed himself. It wouldn't do well for Sigma to see him so upset, he  _hated_  upsetting his children. It had been one reason why he'd given up his position in Intergalactic Relations, he'd gotten caught in the middle of an approaching war, trying to make peace, and been severely injured, nearly to the point of regeneration. When he'd returned…he'd  _never_  seen his children so _terrified_ , such tears in their eyes, and he  _never_  wanted to again. He'd taken up a new position, documenting and writing, mostly for the history books used in the Academy. It gave him ample time with his family and also allowed him to research his more favored aspect of their people's reach, time, history. His texts were actually quite popular among the students of the Academy, taking what could be very dry material and putting a spin on it, making it very enjoyable and interesting, even to those students who were not the biggest fans of learning about the past.

"Yes," he breathed, starting to smile, "This is."

"I will never leave you Theta," she promised, smiling now that he seemed calmer, "And nothing will happen to me. Besides," she joked a bit, "I doubt the High Council would be that interested in a dance instructor."

He laughed, smiling at that. For all her learning and being an Academic, most of which became researchers and inventors, she'd gone nearly the opposite direction. She'd claimed that she'd gotten more than enough of learning facts and figures for all her lifetimes and wanted to focus on a passion of hers, music and dance. She'd opened a small dance school of her own and it was an enormous success, children flocked to her before they were taken to the Academy, many returning during the holidays and later when they were older. She also composed quite a bit of music herself and was highly requested to play at a number of events around the planet. She really was brilliant.

He nodded again, "It was a dream," he decided, before laughing, "Would you believe, we were at war with  _Daleks_!"

She shook her head, "Now you  _know_  it's a dream. The Daleks were destroyed ages ago. You saw to that when the High Council tasked you with eliminating Davros and his fledgling Daleks."

His gaze turned determined, "I almost didn't…but," he shook his head, "I thought of you, of our child, our first baby…I was not about to let the Daleks grow to become our enemies. I wouldn't risk our child's future over those dustbins. Our family," he smiled at her, "Was more than enough of a reason to stop the Daleks."

"What're Daleks?" Sigma asked, startling them.

They looked over to see him peering at them from behind the rock, his eyes just barely visible as he peeked out from behind it, having snuck around through the trees, unnoticed.

"Sigma!" the Professor straightened up on her knees, crossing her arms at her child as he climbed on top of the rock to sit before them, the Doctor turning to look up at the boy, resting on his elbow, "What did I tell you about eavesdropping young man?"

Sigma blinked, "YOU told me not to eavesdrop, that it's rude," she started nodding approvingly but then he continued, "Daddy just said that I shouldn't get caught."

The Professor raised an eyebrow as she turned to the Doctor who winced and looked at her bashfully, having been trying to signal to their son not to mention that without her noticing, "Oh did he now?"

"No!" he sat up, "No, I didn't. In fact, I specifically remember mentioning that he should  _always_  listen to his mother."

"And are you going to practice what you preach and listen to me as well?" she wondered, a small smile growing on her face.

"Yes, of course," he nodded, seeing a way out of this.

"Theta…" she leaned in.

"Yes?"

She smirked, "Run."

His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, dashing off as she leapt up and chased after him. Sigma watched with wide eyes as his parents playfully chased after each other till his mother caught his father and tackled him to the ground, proceeding to tickle him.

"Sigma!" the Doctor called, "Help! Your mother is attacking me!"

"Sigma," the Professor smiled at him, "Come help your mother."

Sigma laughed and jumped up, rushing over and dropping to his knees beside his father, helping his mother, tickling his father's other side.

"Uncle!" the Doctor shouted, "Uncle! I surrender!" the Professor laughed, reaching out to pull Sigma to her, sitting back with him in her lap as they laughed at him trying to catch his breath. He glanced at Sigma, "Et tu, Sigma?"

Sigma giggled, shrugging playfully, "You told me to listen to mummy."

He rolled his eyes over to the Professor, "YOUR son, logical."

"YOUR son," she countered playfully, "A tickler!"

And then she proceeded to tickle Sigma, the Doctor quickly joining in as their son rolled on the grass, squirming and laughing.

~8~

Amy hesitated at the corner, nearly shaking as she peered around it, looking down the hallway beyond. There didn't appear to be any danger as far as she could see…so she cautiously stepped around the corner, walking slowly down the hall, trying her hardest not to make a sound, not to let her boots make too much noise. If there was anything around the corner at the end of the hall, she didn't want them to hear her coming.

She paused, jumping when a monitor across from her flickered on, static showing on it. She turned, about to walk to it, when she heard a familiar whoosh noise and froze. She took a breath before turning suddenly, only to scramble back, coming face-to-face with three Weeping Angel statues, all with demonic faces, their hands reaching out for her.

"Don't blink," she gasped, quickly trying to move back as fast as she could while keeping all three statues in eyesight, not daring to blink, too scared to blink…she reached the end of the hall, approaching the corner, it didn't matter what would be around the corner as long as it wasn't more Angels, anything was better than them, she'd even take Daleks over them.

She felt out for the corner with her right hand, feeling the turn in the wall, her eyes still on the Angels till she moved around the corner, keeping them in sight till the last possible moment before turning and running down the hall…only to see it was a dead end once more.

The whoosh sounded and she moved to turn but something caught her arm in a vice-like grip. She quickly looked over her shoulder to see an Angel right behind her, holding her…there was no way out…she was trapped, held in the grip of an Angel, no way to wiggle out…

"Doctor!" she tried to call, her one last hope, that he'd appear and rescue her, "Doctor! Please, help!"

But as before, he didn't come.

She felt tears pool in her eyes, making her want to blink, but she tried not to. There was nothing else to do, no way out…she took a breath and squeezed her eyes shut as fast as she could, praying for a quick death…

She stumbled, feeling herself deposited somewhere, much like when the Professor and River had saved her from the Angels in the forest. She quickly opened her eyes and spun in a circle in case there were Angels around wherever she was, but there was no one. She was in another hall, walls on three sides of her with just one way open.

The monitor on the wall behind her flickered on an a severe looking woman appeared, "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to blink when faced with Weeping Angels?"

Amy spun around with a gasp to see the woman there. She was an older woman, with reddish-blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun, slightly narrowed brownish-green eyes wearing rectangular, dark rimmed glasses. She had on, from what Amy could tell, a black blouse.

"W-what?"

"The Angels displace you in time and space, you're back where you started," she gave a slightly derisive laugh, "Was it really _that_  hard not to blink?  _Such_  a disappointment."

Amy's eyes narrowed at that remark, "Who are you?" she demanded.

The woman raised an elegant eyebrow at her, "You travel with a Time Lord and Lady yes?" she hummed a moment, "Let's call me the Dream Lady then."

"Where am I?"

She sighed, "Use those mundane little eyes of yours. Notice everything."

Amy put a hand to her cheek, just below her eye at the comment, before glaring, "I'm in a hallway. Now what is this place?"

The woman shook her head, "That is  _truly_  sad. I know human brains are tiny and rather underdeveloped but even you must realize that you're in a maze no?" she laughed as Amy looked around, "No it is then. With that sort of thinking how on Earth does the Doctor put up with you?"

Amy perked up at the mention of the Doctor, "Where is he?"

The woman waved her off, "I grow weary of your rather useless questions. If you can't figure out the answer to that from what I've already told you, you don't deserve answers. Goodbye."

"Wait!" Amy shouted before the woman could cut the transmission, "Please, tell me what's going on? Where am I really? What happened? Why am I here?"

"I love how you think you deserve answers," the woman eyed her, "How you think I'll actually give you them. So arrogant," her gaze narrowed, "How like a petty human to think they deserve something just because they want it. How like a sniveling human to use whatever underhanded means at their disposal to possess the thing they want. Well I am sorry Amy Pond but that is  _not_  the way this game is played."

"Game?" Amy shook her head, confused.

"You're oh so good at playing them," the woman shrugged, "Figure it out."

And then the monitor shut off.

Amy swallowed hard and blinked away a few tears, so confused and lost about this whole thing. Who was that woman? Where was she? What was going on? Where was the Doctor? What was happening? Everything the woman said made less and less sense to her.

She didn't like this, not one bit, but for now she needed to focus on getting out of this maze. If it truly was a maze, there was an end somewhere…

She turned and headed for the end of the hall, ending up back at the same T junction as before, but this time she went right…

~8~

Rory hit the ground, hard, breathing heavily as he landed on his stomach, the wind knocked out of him. He was shaking, his limbs felt like they were made of lead, so sore, so…bruised. He coughed a bit, lifting a shaking hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, there was blood.

"Ready to tell me yet?" the woman asked as she loomed above him, her arms crossed, looking for all the world as though she hadn't just beaten him into the ground.

He groaned and rolled over, only to be kicked in the stomach, causing him to curl in on himself, but then another kick to his face sent him reeling back and rolling onto his other side. The only thing he could be thankful for was that the floors were padded. He'd been dragged out of the room he'd woken in by two shadowy figures and into this one. It was a rather large, circular room with high walls, one set of doors with a large window above it through which someone could watch the goings on below.

The woman sighed, "You humans," she shook her head, "So weak, so fragile, second rate, bruise far too easily don't you?"

She walked over and grabbed him by the shirt, hefting him up and shoving him back against the wall as he let out a huff of pain. She waited a moment and stepped back, leaving him leaning there, one arm curled around his stomach, half clutching his ribs, hunched over as he looked at her through one eye, the other blackened.

"You're so keen to protect your love aren't you?" she eyed him, "Yet you have no way to protect yourself do you?" she scoffed, "Being a lover and not a fighter gets you nowhere in the middle of a war Mr. Williams. How are you going to protect her from physical threats if you can't even fight back? " she sighed, "It's almost pathetic."

Rory, at the veiled threat against Amy, pushed off the wall and swung at her. But she easily caught his arm, twisting it to the side and jabbing it with her other hand, breaking it. He howled in pain and fell back against the floor, cradling his arm to him, biting his lip to keep from crying out even more.

"How about now?" the woman asked, "Ready to talk?" Rory glared up at her, "It's a simple question Mr. Williams, what is Amy frightened of?"

Rory's jaw just tensed, he wasn't going to talk, no matter how much pain he was in, he'd protect Amy with everything he had.

"Your spirit is almost commendable," she remarked, crouching down before him, "Enduring this hell for her…" she tilted her head to the side, "Too bad this is  _nothing_  compared to real hell. But I suppose you'll soon discover that, won't you?"

She reached out and grabbed his injured arm, pulling him to her as he cried out in pain, snapping a manacle around his wrist, working on restraining him…

~8~

The Doctor stood in the doorway of Sigma's bedroom, watching as his son packed up a small bag of little things he wanted to bring with him to the Academy besides his clothes and other necessities already packed away. He smiled, watching him carefully pick up a framed picture of them, of his siblings on one side, his parents on the other, and all of them in the center, folding the frame up and putting it in the bag.

"The others took their pictures too," the Professor murmured, coming up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder, watching Sigma as well, "The last thing they packed so it wouldn't break."

He nodded, thinking back to how they'd watched their other children do this very same thing, pack up their little knickknacks to take with them, "And their stuffed animals as well."

She let out a little laugh, "And their sonics," she stepped away and he turned, leaning with his back against the doorframe while she leaned across from him, "I  _still_  can't believe you made child versions of them, have you any idea how much trouble they're going to get in with them?"

"Of course I do," he shot her a smug smile, "They're OUR children."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, turning to watch as Sigma tried to fit the little blanket that he'd had since he was a baby into the small sack. She walked into the room and gently took the blanket from him, folding it up as Sigma scrambled onto his bed to hold the bag open for her. She smiled at him and placed the blanket right on top of the pictures, giving them extra protection.

"Thank you mummy," Sigma smiled.

"Anything for my little man," she ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you ready Sigma?" the Doctor asked, walking into the room and kneeling before his son.

Sigma nodded, excited, jumping off the bed and gathering the bag in front of him, "Let's go!" before dashing out of the room, the two of them laughing as they watched him go.

"He's very excited to get to the Academy isn't he?" he murmured, looking up at her, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

She sat down beside him as he wrapped an arm around her waist, "But for a very good reason," she added, smiling softly,  _so_  happy that her son wanted to leave for the right reasons.

He sighed, thoughtful, "Do you think he'll find his own Kata?" he asked her quietly.

"If you mean a broken little girl to heal?" she looked at him, "I hope not," she sighed, "I don't  _ever_  want to think of any child being like I was."

"You mean absolutely brilliant, beautiful, kind, special…"

She nudged him, cutting him off, "If you meant a girl like  _that_ ," she gave him a playful look, "Then I hope he does," her gaze drifted back to the doorway, "Our little boy is something special."

"He won't find anyone less than that," he agreed, "None of our children will," he sighed happily, "I hope they do find their Katas."

"And their Thetas," she added, watching him closely as he started to nod, "Just like Natia did…"

"Just like Natia…what?" his eyes widened and he looked at her, alarmed, "She what? When did this happen?"

She laughed heartily at his expression, "Ages ago," she replied, "You remember that little boy she's always talking and writing us about…"

He nodded briefly before he looked at her quickly, "She hasn't told him her name has she? She's far too young to…"

"I was 48 when I told you mine," she reminded him, "She's 305…"

"She's still too young!" he said firmly, though immensely relieved that she hadn't told her name yet.

"How is  _that_ too young?"

He blinked and gave a small frown, "She's my little girl," he said softly, "She'll always be too young."

"You're never too young to fall in love," she reminded him again, nuzzling the side of his face, "You should be happy she's found it and that it's returned."

He had to sigh but accept that, "I want to meet him, see for myself…"

"You HAVE met him Theta," she pulled away, "He's visited us with her quite a few times already."

"Well…" he floundered a moment, "I want to meet him  _properly_  then…as a potential Bonded for her."

She smiled at his protectiveness, nodding, "I'll let her know that."

"Good," he nodded, though he still wasn't happy.

"Mummy!" Sigma called from downstairs, "Daddy! Come on!"

She laughed, standing up, tugging him up with her, "As impatient as you."

"We're going to be late!"

He smiled, shaking his head at her, "As stuck on the rules as you," he gave her a quick kiss and wrapped his arm around her waist, walking out of the room with her.

~8~

Amy struggled against the suction around her, trying her best to crawl and claw her way out of the swirling black floor that she had stepped into. The floor had looked perfectly safe…until she set foot on it, and then it started to swirl and suck her down, much like very fast quicksand. She'd fallen to the side, trying to grab the solid floor just behind her and pull herself out but it was hard. It was  _so_  hard, the floor was powerful.

She cried out, tears in her eyes as she fought against the suction and pulled and pulled…slowly, ever so slowly, she managed to climb more and more onto the solid floor until she was out completely. She curled up just a bit as she lay there panting, tears spilling down her face at the close call. She didn't like this game, she  _really_  didn't like it. Why was that woman doing this to her?

"You still haven't figured out the answer have you?" the woman's voice asked as though reading her mind.

Amy gasped and sat up, looking over at a monitor on the wall where the woman was looking at her, shaking her head in disappointment. She glared and pulled herself up to face the woman, "Why are you doing this?" she demanded, angry, scared, "What did I ever do to you?"

The woman's eyes narrowed into a glare of her own, "You tried to take something away from me," she sneered, "Something important, something I love."

Amy blinked, startled, she hadn't expected  _that_ , "I…I'm sorry…"

"Oh don't waste your false apologies on me," the woman spat, "You don't even know what it was and you're actually apologizing? How insincere you little humans can be."

"Look, I…"

"Silence!" the woman snapped, her glare returning tenfold, "I am talking!" Amy flinched at the woman's order but fell quiet. The woman gave her a small, victorious smirk at that, "You tried to take something of importance from me, so I have taken something from you."

The image cut out to show her Rory.

She gasped at the sight before her, Rory was sitting, hunched over in a dark, sterile room, chained heavily, manacles on his wrists and ankles, a harness around his chest and a metal collar around his neck holding him fast to the wall. The only comfort she could see was that he was sitting on a bed that had been pushed against the wall, the room was full of other beds with odd medical-looking devices beside them as well, making the room look like an infirmary of some sort which she supposed explained the state of Rory. He was breathing heavily and she could see his clothes were soiled and damp with sweat, he was bruised badly with cuts and blood on his face, his one eye swollen shut. Whatever had happened, he'd been hurt badly…

"Rory!" she ran to the monitor as though it would act as a portal to him, placing her hand on his face just before the image cut back to the woman and she jumped back, glaring, "Where's the Doctor?"

The woman started laughing, shaking her head at Amy, "Amazing. Truly, truly amazing. Your  _fiancé_  is trapped and here you are, asking about  _the Doctor_? Hmm…"

Amy frowned, "The Doctor can help me find Rory," she defended weakly.

The woman hummed, not believing a word of her excuse as she eyed Amy, "What makes you think the Doctor is even here to help?"

"You took us. You took me and Rory, so why not him."

"And the Professor?" the woman lifted an eyebrow, "What of her?"

"If she's here then the Doctor can help me save her too."

The woman smirked, "What makes you think the Doctor isn't going to save her first?" Amy frowned, "Do you  _really_  think the _first_  thing the Doctor would think to do, waking up here, would be to find  _you_?" she laughed even more, "You truly are a silly little girl if you believe  _that_."

"The Doctor wouldn't just abandon me," she defended.

"Perhaps not  _now_ ," the woman had to concede, "But do you really think he'll keep you around? Look around you Amy. He's left you here, alone. Little Amelia Pond left all on her own. He won't even apologize you know."

She glared, "He doesn't have to."

"That's good, because he never will," she told her, "He didn't to any of the ones who came before you and he won't for you. You, Amy Pond, are  _not_ as special to him as you think you are," Amy flinched, "You are  _not_  the first to travel with him and you certainly won't be the last, so the sooner you start to realize that you aren't the center of his Universe, that there was no romantic motive behind him bringing you along, the better off you'll be. You, my dear, are nothing more than a stray dog he happened to pick up," she laughed, "If it wasn't for the crack in your wall as a child, do you think he would have stuck around as long as he did?"

"Where is he?" she asked again, quieter than she had before.

"I give you my assurance that the Doctor is fine, perfectly safe," she smirked, "Happy, even," and her smirk turned dark, "It's your fiancé you have to worry about."

Amy paused, a pit starting to form in her stomach, "Where is he? Where's Rory?"

The woman rolled her eyes, "More useless questions…"

"Just answer me!"

"This is a MAZE," the woman stressed, "Not a LABYRINTH, where do you  _think_  he is? And please, do try to use that little brain of yours, I know you don't often but it would help, it really would help, if you at least  _tried_  this time."

Amy frowned, she knew from all the stories she'd read as a child, about myths and things, that a labyrinth was like a maze but with paths that led to the center of it, like with the Minotaur, "A labyrinth's goal is to get to the center."

"Yes," the woman dragged out, as though speaking to an idiot, "And if this is NOT a labyrinth then you are NOT heading for the center so…"

"He's at the end of the maze!" Amy realized.

The woman mockingly began clapping, "Brilliant," she added sarcastically, "I can see why the Doctor keeps you around. That was genius, truly."

"Shut up!" Amy glared at her.

The woman's eyes narrowed, "At the end of the maze you'll find your fiancé. If you reach him in time, he's yours. If not…" she let out a breathy laugh, "Well, I suppose you'd need to survive the maze first."

The monitor flickered off once more.

Amy frowned, looking up and down the halls. If the woman was to be believed, the Doctor was safe for now…but Rory wasn't…she had to find him, quickly…

~8~

Rory looked over as the door opened and the woman walked in. He barely moved more than that, not that he really could, the manacles and the collar and the harness didn't allow for much leeway in movement. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry, his throat hurt, and his head was pounding, but he kept his eye on the woman.

She walked over and pulled up a stool, sitting across from him, her legs crossed casually as she rested her clasped hands on her knee, eyeing him a moment, "How painful it must have been," she remarked.

"What?" he asked.

"Seeing her pining for another, choosing another over you when you've loved her longer," Rory closed his eyes a moment, knowing she was talking of Amy and the Doctor, "On top of being second best, it must've hurt terribly."

He frowned, opening his eyes, confused, "What did?"

"Learning about what your beloved tried to do with the Doctor," she smirked as he winced, "Kissing him…" she tilted her head, "But you know, don't you Mr. Williams, that she was fully prepared to do more than just that."

Rory looked away, a sad, knowing look on his face. Yes, he did. He would never, ever tell Amy, but he knew. She was a flirt by nature, as easily caught in her passion as her anger, and had been dreaming of the Doctor for more than a decade…of course he knew what she had most likely offered him beyond just a kiss.

"I suppose it was a good thing he rejected her then," she sighed, "Had he not, had he shown her just a hint of reciprocation…well, you already  _know_  Amy wanted  _him_  first, don't you? You know who she would have picked. In the end, his rejection meant she was yours," she gave a bitter laugh, "Who else would she have to turn to if not you."

"Stop it," he muttered.

"She's always been stuck picking between the two of you. She wanted him, but got stuck with you didn't she?"

"Stop."

"And even then, wouldn't that mean she didn't  _really_  want you at all? And if she didn't want you then, would she in the future?"

"Stop it."

"She ran off with one man, on the night before your wedding no less, do you  _really_  think she wouldn't run off with another man after?"

"Stop it!" he glared at her, breathing heavily.

She smirked, seeing not only anger, but sadness in his eyes, he knew it.

"Tell me what she fears and I will," she offered.

He just looked away.

She sighed, "The loyal little soldier waiting to be noticed," she leaned forward a bit, "Let me tell you, you could wait for years Mr. Williams, decades even, before she realizes it. And by then…" she shrugged, "It might be too late."

She got up and walked out the door once more, leaving him to his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Amy has seen the Dream Lady too and knows that Rory's in trouble. I've actually managed to make this story relate to Amy having a choice, what do you know :) And if you think the Dream Lady was bad enough for Amy to deal with...the Dream Lady's got a little trick up her sleeve that may leave Amy with a much worse opponent in the next chapter...mu-wah-ha-ha...


	3. The Dream Lady - Part Three

They stood out in the open field with a few other families, all waiting for the Academy shuttle to arrive. The Doctor had his hand on Sigma's shoulder as the boy fidgeted excitedly. He looked over at the Professor, smiling at her, their son was exactly that. As excitable as him and as ready to learn as her.

All too soon the shuttle had arrived and landed, the steps descending to allow the children aboard. The Doctor knelt down onto a knee before Sigma, turning him to face them as the Professor knelt down beside him.

"Now Sigma," he began, placing his hands on his son's shoulders, "I want you to be strong eh?" Sigma nodded, "And if you ever need help, you look for your siblings. They'll look out for you."

"Be a good boy," the Professor whispered, tears in her eyes despite her smiles, "And do your best."

"Make us proud," he added softly, "Be yourself."

"We love you Sigma," she reached out and hugged him tightly along with the Doctor, the boy hugging them in return. He was sad to leave his parents, but he knew he wouldn't be alone, he had his brother and sisters to keep an eye on him and they never let him down.

"I love you too mummy," he whispered, kissing her cheek, "I love you daddy," he added as the Doctor patted his head.

"Good luck," the Professor told him.

"Have fun," the Doctor nodded.

Sigma nodded, a small fleck of tears in his eyes like his mother but he stood strong like his father and turned, walking off with his bag to join the other children. They stood up, watching as he climbed the steps to the shuttle, pausing in the doorway to wave back at them.

They smiled and returned the wave and he disappeared into the shuttle. They stood there with the other parents, watching as the steps pulled up and the shuttle flew away. They could have easily taken him to the Academy themselves, they'd been near enough during their picnic. All they had to do was strap on a small teleporter and they could appear almost anywhere on Gallifrey and pop back home in time for tea. But leaving on the Academy shuttle was tradition, one their little family kept to.

"Fourth time," the Professor whispered, watching as the shuttle grew smaller and smaller the more distant it got, "And it never gets any easier to watch them go."

The Doctor nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist, stroking her side as he kissed her temple, "Fourth time," he smiled in thought, "Three more and we'd be even with the record for most children."

"Actually…" she began and he looked at her, but she just moved his hand from her side, stepping closer to him to slide his hand to rest on her stomach, " _Two_  more…"

His eyes widened as he stared at her, "You're…"

She nodded, smiling a bit, "Number five."

A grin broke out on his face as he pulled her into a hug, spinning her around and kissing her deeply.

~8~

"Rory?" Amy called, her voice shaking, as she wandered down the hallways, careful to tread lightly, lest the floor turn into a swirling vortex of death again, and always be on alert to jump back, should something appear around the corner trying to kill her like the maze seemed designed to do, "Rory, where are you? Rory!"

She sighed as she glanced around a corner, frowning when she spotted only a large mirror taking up the length of a wall. It was a slight dead end, blocked at the end, but with another hall, leading to the right a few feet before the mirror. She stepped out, looking behind her a moment before walking over to the mirror.

She grimaced, looking herself over. Her right boot was torn to shreds, her scarf wrapped around her leg, red splotches seeping through it, her clothes were dirty, her face was smudged, and she was pretty sure a piece of her hair on her left was burned off. She looked a right mess. She reached out, trying to mat down her hair, just because she was on the run from her enemies didn't mean she had to look the part. Not to mention, it made her feel just a bit better that there was something as normal as a mirror around and not some deadly trap...

"Who are you?" a chorus sounded behind her. She spun around to see five girls in white nightgowns standing before her, the girls from Signora Rosanna's school, the alien-fish-vampires! She wasted no time in backing over towards the side hall and dashed down it.

She raced around a corner to the left only for someone to grab her. For a single moment she thought it might be the Doctor, that she'd run into him like she had in Venice, but then she inhaled and smelled fish. Her eyes widened as she saw Francesco leering at her, his hands firmly grabbing her arms before his grin widened to reveal his fang-like teeth. He wasted no time in biting down hard on her neck.

She screamed and just managed to thrust her knee up, hitting him between the legs. She didn't know if alien-fish-vampires had the same anatomy as human boys did, but Francesco let go of her regardless. She pressed a hand to her bleeding neck and ran past him, around a corner, running along as many halls as she could before the venom in his bite caught up with her, making her drowsy and dazed. She stumbled, falling to the floor, pressing her back to the wall when a monitor across from her flickered on, her vision of the image blurring slightly in her disorientation.

"Giving up so soon?" the woman smirked at her before tsking, "Look at you, sitting down on the job…"

"I just got bit!" she snapped back, growing very irritated and angry at the woman.

The woman's expression hardened, "The man who loves you is in danger, it shouldn't matter what happened to you so long as you get to him and save him," she snapped, "You let NOTHING get in your way, not enemies, not walls, not yourself or your limitations. You let NOTHING stop you!"

Amy looked at her, alarmed at the emotion in the woman's voice. She had a sneaking suspicion that the woman was speaking from experience.

The woman took a breath, calming slightly, as a dangerous glint entered her eyes, "I see you need some more...motivation...then," she grinned, "Release Hexa," she called to someone Amy couldn't see.

The image flickered to a hallway, a black door in the middle of the wall opening. Amy frowned, squinting as she made out a woman with black hair and cold, ice-blue eyes striding out of the door. Her eyes widened as the image continued to follow the woman, revealing more of her. She was dressed in some sort of fitted, futuristic armor, all in black, weapons strapped to her back, her belt, holsters on her legs, knives or some other such objects in straps on her arms, carrying a rather deadly looking gun-like object in her hands…her entire body was covered in the black armor, boots, and gloves to the point where only her face was visible, hard, cold, determined, but there was an anger in it, this was a woman on a mission who wouldn't stop till she'd killed or was killed herself.

"Who…who's that?" Amy breathed, starting to shake, the aura of the woman, her body language, this was _not_  a woman you'd want to meet.

The Dream Lady appeared once more, grinning widely, smug and pleased, "Our finest warrior, our most deadly weapon. And she's coming for you!" she started laughing as Amy's eyes widened and she pushed herself to her feet, the drugs in the bite starting to fade in her fear, "Basically…run!" the woman shouted and Amy took off running…still able to hear the woman's laughter even as she rounded a corner...

~8~

Muffled screams filled the room as the woman stood there, her arms crossed, leaning against the door of what looked like it was meant to be a classroom of sorts, watching. Rory strained, a vein popping out on his neck as the energy ran through him. He was tied to a rather large, bulky, advanced chair, much like a few others lining the room stationed to face a large projection screen, a metal cap on his head with a small piece of glass stuck to the side, over his right eye, much like half a goggle. There was a gag across his mouth. She'd grown rather tired of the constant screaming and muffled them.

She glanced at the program running on the side of the chair, the monitor facing her, dispalying his vitals and the progress of the program. It was starting to power down. She nodded to herself and walked over, moving the eyepiece to the side, looking at him as he stared back at her, slightly dazed, "Tell me now?" she asked him lightly.

He swallowed, blinking quite a few times, the daze clearing if only a bit, before shaking his head, "N-no," came the muffled reply.

She nodded, almost seeming impressed, "You are an interesting specimen Mr. Williams," she told him, sighing, "It's a pity only  _I_  seem to think so, isn't it?" before placing the eyepiece back, hitting the button on the program to start it once more, increasing the power level of it only slightly, watching as it ran.

The mental conditioner was typically used to implant statistics, strategies, calculations, facts and other plans into the mind of whoever wore it. It was almost like a direct download of information, learning while the mind was not actively engaged in learning. More like subliminal data being placed into the mind, giving the wearer information without wasting valuable time memorizing it. Highly dangerous of course, the mind was such a fragile thing, the brain very delicate...the devices had to be monitored closely so as not to overpower the mind or damage the brain, even more so, she suspected, when being used on a human.

For all the information it could bestow, before the device could even begin to do so, it had to gain access to the mind itself. A mental conditioner could also be used to break down the mental prowess of the wearer, making them weaker, more susceptible, less willing to fight the effects or reject the information. It tired out the mind basically, made the wearer drowsy, as though through lacking quite a few days of sleep or physical exhaustion but much faster. It was capable of wearing away at the resistance of the wearer till it could drop the information in.

It was often used on those with very strong wills and very secure and strong mental barriers, to weaken them just enough to plant the calculations and such in the mind. It was a permanent process, the information placed would never and could never be erased. It would be with the user for the rest of their lives, always there, always present, ready to be tapped into when need be.

Rory screamed again as the program hit its peak, working away at his resistance.

She watched him, she would give him one thing, his determination to protect his love was  _very_  impressive. If he continued to be as strong of mind as of heart, she may have to think of other…methods…of getting the information she needed to make the maze truly unbeatable.

~8~

They were strolling down the walkways, arm-in-arm, the Doctor with a large grin still on his face from the good news, another child! They were going to have another child! A baby…he just couldn't believe it, he loved how their family just kept growing. He loved how much his children loved getting another sibling, they'd never ever been jealous of the others, all so excited to have someone to look after, to be looked up to by…their family was truly just so loving and accepting, a unit, sharing an unbreakable bond with each other. They loved their children, their children loved them, their children loved each other, it was...perfect...and now, to have another child!

"Thinking about number five?" the Professor asked with a little laugh. He just kissed her again, "I thought as much," she nodded when he pulled away, "But you do realize that our upcoming adventure will have to be a calm one yes?"

"Of course," he nodded, not at all perturbed to give up an actual adventure with his children.

Due to his past in Intergalactic Relations, he had access to the TARDISes, all types and makes, from those just released to those set away in the museums and retired. During holidays they would often gather their children together and head off on some exciting adventure to other planets and galaxies and times. There was this one old Type 40 TARDIS in a museum near the Academy that always seemed to take them on the best mystery tours of the Universe. It was a favorite of their children so they always used that particular TARDIS.

He blinked, thinking of the TARDIS, the same one from his dream, made him think of the dream once more, "The TARDIS was there," he told her, "In the dream, it was our TARDIS, that old Type 40 we found as children, the one we use for our adventures."

"I'm glad," she rested her head on his shoulder, "She's a special old box. I'm glad she got to see the Universe with us in your dream."

"It was there before I…before the war with the Daleks," he added, recalling something, "I was travelling around time and space before it happened…"

She paused a moment, thinking, " _You_? Not…not  _us_?"

He gave her a kiss to the temple, "It was a dream dear," it was his turn to remind her.

"Why wasn't I with you though?" she looked at him, "In your dream of course," she smiled, "Because that would HAVE to be a dream. I'm not about to let you go anywhere without me."

He smiled, before thinking, "It was your graduation party…you remember how your cousin tried to hound me that entire night?"

She laughed, "Do I! God, I thought I was going to kill Mayra, especially when she told me she'd asked you to see her," she shook her head, "That was NOT gonna happen."

He grinned widely, "I remember you marched over to me and dragged me out of the room and into a cupboard to 'have a word' with me."

They'd certainly had more than a few words in that cupboard, quite a few kisses as well.

He nudged her a bit, "More like 'have your way' with me eh?"

She blushed, nudging him back, "I wasn't about to let her take away MY Theta," she muttered.

"Oh so I was YOURS then eh?" he teased.

"Oh no," she said, and he looked at her, "You were mine  _long_  before that."

"As you were mine," he nodded, smiling softly at her, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, "My Kata."

She laughed, "We are a possessive pair, aren't we?"

He could only nod at that, they certainly were, and now that he thought about it...perhaps  _that_  was why their family was so close, so happy. Their children were blessed with parents who loved each other so much...and their children really were representations of that love, physical manifestations...

"Anyway…" he shook his head, feeling himself getting lost in his thoughts, he wanted to finish explaining that part of the dream before it faded entirely, as dreams so often did, "In the dream…you didn't pull me away, I  _did_  see Mayra, and…somehow…we…er…" he trailed off.

"You?"

He cleared his throat, uncomfortable, "We...United."

He winced, expecting her to be angry that, in his dream, he'd basically married her cousin, but she just burst out laughing, so hard, in fact, that tears came to her eyes, "You and MAYRA?" she laughed harder, "Honestly Theta, that HAD to be a dream. You and Mayra would have  _killed_  each other first. You two can't stand to be in the same room as each other for more than five minutes! And you think you could have survived being  _United_  with her?"

He actually started to chuckle at that, yes, it did seem rather farfetched. Him and Mayra? The thought was a nightmare in itself.

"But you know what?" he smiled at her, "Even then, even after that, I still found my way to you, my way back. I found you again Kata and we didn't just Unite," he leaned in, whispering in her ear, "We Bonded."

She turned, resting her temple against his forehead, "I'm glad that even in your dreams we are still together. That even in the worst of nightmares we  _still_  find our way to each other, just as we promised."

"Just as we promised," he nodded, tucking her arm further into his own, "It was a dream," he agreed, feeling very relieved at the fact, "It couldn't be real," he eyed her, "I'd never pick anyone but you."

"I'm glad," she smiled, giving him a kiss.

~8~

Amy was really shaking now, truly and properly afraid. It seemed that nearly every turn, every hall had another enemy or danger behind it. She ran around a corner, rushing down a hall, trying in earnest to find Rory, only to stop short, nearly falling forward into the pit that had appeared in the floor, pieces of it falling away and dropping down into it. She waved her arms around in a circle, trying to balance herself again, and thankfully fell backwards, scrambling away from the pit and back to the corner.

She pushed herself up, running down the hall again, racing down past the monitors that sprang up of the Dream Lady watching her, laughing, taunting her by showing her images of this Hexa person striding through the halls hunting her.

She turned a corner and threw her hands up as bursts of flames shot out of the walls, blocking her path. She winced, pulling back, gripping her left hand to her chest, the skin already sizzling, burned. She heaved, her heart racing as she looked around for somewhere to run before backing up and running back the way she'd come, trying a different corner to hurtle around.

She nearly cried, seeing what would have been a comical scene before her. There was a series of axes and maces, other sharp objects dangling down from the ceiling, swinging across a narrow path in the floor, creating a rather dangerous obstacle course to cross. She knew, with her leg injured, she would  _never_  be able to make it past the swinging dangers quickly enough. She backed up again and spun in a circle. Confused for a moment, which way had she come again?

She shook her head and tried another corner, seeing it clear and ran through it, only for some sort of bullet or small cannon balls to shoot out of the walls just behind her, but quickly making its way towards her, holes opening up on the walls to release them. She couldn't stop…she was in the middle of them, she needed to keep going! She ran as fast as she could, wincing as everything boomed behind her, but she made it.

She skid to a halt as she came through to a T intersection again. The hallway behind her closed off, a wall whooshing shut behind her, leaving her in the middle of a hall. She looked to her left, her eyes widening in despair to see a field of green lasers at odd angles blocking the way. She backed up, turning to the right to see the path was clear. She breathed a sigh of relief and ran down it, just stepping around the corner when a beam of light blasted past her. She jumped back, instinctively ducking down, and looked over to see none other than Hexa heading down the hall towards her, still a good distance away, but aiming her gun out before her.

She fired again and Amy quickly dove back into the hall she'd come from. She fell to the ground, fairly certain she'd bruised the knee of her good leg in the process, before quickly scrambling to her feet as she ran towards the laser field. She pounded on the wall where the other hall had been, but it didn't open…there was only one way out.

She turned to the laser field and swallowed hard, making her way towards it. She ducked down under one laser, trying to step over another, but her injured leg couldn't hold her. She fell to the floor, crying out in pain as a laser struck her left shoulder, cutting her. Her skin hissed and she gripped her shoulder as it started to bleed. A blast flew over her head and she could see Hexa had stepped around the corner.

She twisted herself to her stomach, crawling under another laser, pushing herself up to carefully make her way over another, twisting and turning, getting burned and nicked as she tried her best to maneuver her way through while ducking and avoiding Hexa's blasts as they grew closer. And with a shout of victory, she managed to duck under the last laser, safely on the other side of the field.

She grinned and turned back to Hexa, laughing smugly as she saw the woman come to a stop at the other end of the field, standing there like a statue, glaring through the beams at Amy, "Not so tough now are ya?" Amy called. The woman just pulled her gaze away and eyed the beams before stepping back away from them, "What?" Amy laughed, feeling that it was a rather stupid idea to laugh at a woman with a gun, but the adrenaline and relief was too much, she couldn't help it, "Scared of a little laser field? Ha! Rubbish!"

But then Hexa swung her gun onto her shoulder, securing it, and ran at the field. Amy's eyes widened as Hexa turned, flipping through the field with ease, growing closer. Amy turned and ran as fast as she could, hoping to get far enough away that Hexa wouldn't track her down.

~8~

Rory's head lulled as he hung, his hands chained above his head by the manacles, his broken arm completely numb, his feet just barely touching the floor, back in the circular, floor padded room he'd been beaten in before. His shirt was off, he could see the bruises and cuts littering his chest as his chin came in contact with his neck, looking down at himself.

"What is Amy Pond frightened of?" the woman asked, walking around behind him, eyeing him. She'd lost the prod she'd had the first time he'd seen her in favor of something that looked like a small, simple, red leather rod, almost like a baton, held in one hand and resting on her shoulder, "Tell me."

"N…no…" he managed to ground out.

He was  _so_  tired. He hurt  _so_  much. But there was one thing he knew, he wouldn't let this woman hurt Amy, he  _couldn't_ , he knew from what the woman had told him during his other sessions that Amy was trapped somewhere, being hunted and in danger, and he would NOT be the one that gave this woman the final tool she needed to truly hurt Amy. He would  _not_ , he  _refused_  to be the reason she was harmed or…his heart clenched…killed…

The woman came to stand before him, moving the rod to lift his chin up. He tensed, his jaw clenching as white hot pain flared through him, all coming from the rod. She'd called it an agiel when she first began this session, apparently it was something that, when coming into contact with another person, caused the person excruciating and debilitating pain. It was, by far, the worst session he'd had.

"Never take your eyes off the enemy Mr. Williams," she told him, forcing his chin up more as he groaned before releasing it, Rory doing his best to keep his head up this time, "Never turn your back, remain focused at all times, minimize distractions."

His head trembled as he fought to keep his chin up. But the woman just pressed the rod to his chest, right above his heart, and he couldn't bear it anymore, letting his head fall as he screamed.

She pulled the rod away, eyeing him, "Mr. Williams I don't enjoy seeing you like this," she informed him.

He scoffed, trying to lift his chin but he just felt so  _weak_.

"I'm being perfectly honest," she added, "I don't," she eyed him, "I see much of myself in you…"

He managed a glare at her through his one good eye, "We…are  _nothing_ …alike…"

"Oh aren't we?" she tilted her head to the side, "We would both endure an endless hell for the ones we love."

He blinked and looked at her, his glare shifting to confusion.

"We would both do anything to protect them, things we aren't proud of, things that make us personally feel like we  _are_  in hell, things to other people if it meant keeping them safe. We would do whatever it took to keep them safe wouldn't we? Even survive in hell."

He frowned at her.

"And now we have," she sighed, "Tell me what frightens her?"

"No."

She gave him a sad smile, "Then you leave me no choice," she shook her head and turned to the door as it opened and the two shadowy figures that had moved him to all the different rooms entered, "Take him to the Core!" she ordered, striding out of the room as the two figures released him and dragged him out after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so bad for Rory. Of him and Amy, I felt sure that the Professor would be hell bent on torturing Amy. But as I started writing, the Professor's darkness twisted that plot. She's made it known that she associates and relates to Rory more than Amy, she sees herself in Rory, in that sense, he would be the one to endure what she had in the course of protecting the person she loved.
> 
> There was a tiny, little reference to an object from the Legend of the Seeker TV/book series in this chapter for those who have seen/read it. Anyone spot it?
> 
> Also, next chapter, there's going to be a scene that Amy will see of the Doctor and Professor in their world. Amy will see their current incarnations, however, we know that the Doctor and Professor in their world are their original selves, so just keep that in mind if you try to picture this like an episode playing out...wow that was a bit confusing...I hope it'll make more sense when you actually read the scenes in question :) AND we find out a little more about the Doctor/Professor's other children.
> 
> And finally...any guesses as to who Hexa is?


	4. The Dream Lady - Part Four

The Doctor smiled at the pictures set up on the mantel of their sitting room. The gentle flicker of firelight from the fireplace cast warm glows around the darkened room, the flickering of the light on the wall reflecting on the pictures. There they were, his children, his family.

To the left, on the very end was his Natia, his daughter, his little girl, his first little girl. The girl smiling up at him had thick golden hair, just like the Professor had, but with his brown eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the top of her head, her eyes were shining as she squinted, smiling out. She was 305 now, had passed her TARDIS exams with flying colors, had so far passed all her exams beautifully as a matter of fact, she was so brilliant. She was his self appointed assistant on adventures, so responsible, truly feeling responsible for her younger siblings, being their role model, looking out for them wherever they went, always there for them when they needed her. She was his little treasure.

Then there was Eta, their first boy, his little clone as the Professor loved to say. Eta was  _exactly_  like he had been as a child, exactly the same. The gob that wouldn't stop, the curiosity that could never be sated, the flair for the dramatic, the uncanny ability to find trouble wherever he went. It was ironic that the Professor called Eta his clone as the had his mother's looks, her golden hair as well as her gray eyes. He looked so much like her but acted so much like him it was almost funny. He'd even begun trying his hand at upgrading his sonic screwdriver, adding dampeners and other odds and ends to it. He had just turned 200 last month and was excited to be able to return home more often and go over some of his inventions with his father.

The center picture was of the six of them, their little family all gathered together for Sigma's birth, all of them smiling, all of them so happy to meet their new little brother, it touched his hearts.

He moved on to the next picture, Kya, the kindest little girl in the world. She was as like him in appearance as Eta was of the Professor, with brown hair that fell in soft curls around her and warm brown eyes. It was hard to believe she was only 97, just three years away from her first triple digit. Kya was far more quiet a person than all her siblings, comfortable in curling up with a little book, silently observing those around her. She was so like her mother in that regard, not speaking much at first but when she did it was important…until she really got to know someone and then she opened up much more. But she was just always the first to help someone else, so kind and considerate and trying to do what she could to make others feel better. His little sweetheart.

And then there was Sigma, their youngest boy, eight years old, with his brown hair but the Professor's gray eyes. He was their little ball of energy, full of excitement and wonder, constantly trying to learn more, so eager to learn more, and then use what he'd learned. He could not wait to get to the Academy and learn. He was just like the Professor, he had aspirations of becoming an Academic like his mother as wll. He smiled as he looked into the eager eyes of Sigma's photo, hoping that his son was having a good time, that he was happy at the Academy.

He shook his head when he noticed something, the girls had his eyes and the boys had hers. It wasn't odd that their children looked so much like they did. Typically the children of Time Lords could end up with any combination of traits from their parents previous incarnations, but since they were both still on their first, there were only so many traits to go on. He wondered what their newest child would look like.

"Your hair, my eyes," the Professor murmured, catching his thoughts, coming up beside him as he moved to look at the center picture again, "A girl."

He smiled, looking over at her, "Why can't it be a boy with your hair and my eyes?"

She laughed, "Either one is fine with me so long as they're healthy and happy."

"I agree," he added softly, leaning in to give her a kiss. He pulled away after a few moments and smiled at her, "Now, my beautiful Bonded, that the children are all sorted…what say we make use of our time alone?"

She laughed, pulling away a bit, "Says the man who'd rather waste time than anything else."

"Oi!" he grinned, watching her walk towards the side of the room, "I only waste time when it comes to you," she paused and turned around to look at him, an eyebrow raised, and he winced at how that came out, "I mean…I…um…I love you?"

She laughed and walked over to him, giving him a peck, "I know what you meant."

He smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, she always knew what he was trying to say even when he flubbed his words or didn't know himself what it was he was trying to express, "I love that about you," he whispered, kissing her quickly before she pulled back again.

"I love you as well," she told him, walking back to the side of the room as she had been doing before.

He watched her curiously, not entirely sure what she was about to do as she hid her thoughts from him, but couldn't help but be secretly thrilled, even now, after having known her nearly 900 years and having a direct connection to her mind, she  _still_  managed to surprise him.

A moment later, soft music started to play, a small track that he knew to be one of her originals. His smile grew as he recognized the tune, one, she'd told him, she'd made especially for him, what she claimed she heard when she thought of him. It was a beautiful melody, soft and soothing at times, powerful and important in others…just...so  _him_ …

She smiled and walked back over to him, draping her arms around his neck as they started to sway gently to the music. Even after nearly 900 years of her trying to teach him to dance more than a waltz, he was still rubbish at it. But luckily for him, she didn't mind so much, as long as she could just be close to him, have this intimacy, these little moments that they could share together.

He smiled, pulling her closer to him as she rested her head on his chest, burying his face in her hair as they swayed, the music surrounding them, just being as close as they could be. He nuzzled the side of her head, humming the song in her ear, feeling her smile into his neck before she started trailing her own kisses along his neck as he had done to her that morning.

He could barely contain the excited shiver that had gone down his spine, this was the perfect moment…one that he knew would only get better as the night went on. There was always only one place they ended up whenever they danced like this…

The bedroom.

~8~

Amy shivered as she wandered down a hallway, hugging herself. She'd somehow managed to give that Hexa woman the slip but she was still on edge, hearing noises behind her, before her, thinking the woman had caught up to her or somehow managed to get ahead of her, and she still wasn't any nearer to finding Rory it seemed.

She rubbed her head, wishing the Doctor was there. He'd be able to help her, he'd have found Rory by then. He probably would have figured out who the woman was and explained it to her, he'd have stopped all this.

"Your faith in the Doctor is admirable," the woman's voice called.

Amy jumped and turned around to see a monitor behind her had flicked on, the woman there again, "I trust him," Amy said, moving back a few feet to stand before the monitor, it was as simple as that, "He'll find me, and he'll help me."

The woman smirked, "You trust him, sweet. Do you think he returns the sentiment?"

Amy's eyes narrowed, "Of course he does. He's told me things," she added, her nose lifting slightly, "About his people, about what he did, about the war and what happened."

The woman gave a small laugh, "So then, if you're this awe-inspiring person that he trusts above anyone else, what's his name?" Amy swallowed hard and looked away, "You don't know do you?" she actually started to laugh at Amy.

"Stop it!" Amy glared, "Just shut up! You don't know anything!"

"Don't I?" the woman shook her head, "You need to understand something Amelia Pond, you are  _miniscule_. You mean as much to him as any of his other Companions and there have been  _so_  many before you. There is  _no one_  in this Universe that he will  _ever_  love besides the Professor," she eyed Amy, seeing her aware of the truth in the statement, but not exactly accepting or happy with it, "I can see you'll require some more proof then," she sighed, "Would you like to see where your beloved Doctor is? Hmm? What he's doing right now?"

Amy looked up at that, her expression saying enough.

The image suddenly cut off and Amy's mouth dropped open, her heart breaking at the sight, the Doctor and Professor, the man and woman she'd travelled with, were lying in bed together, the Professor's head on his chest, his arm around her, clearly sans clothing, most certainly having just finishing up a rather intimate moment…

~8~

The Doctor was breathing a bit heavily, lying on his back in bed, his arm automatically winding around the Professor's waist as she turned on her side, resting her head on his chest with a very happy look on her face. His other hand reached out and took her hand that was resting on his stomach, playing with her fingers absently, "I love you," he whispered to her after he'd caught his breath, "So much," he looked down at her as she looked up at him, "You have no idea."

She gave him a soft smile, "I think I have a fairly good one actually," she pushed herself up to give him a peck but he let go of her hand to put his on her cheek, holding her there as he deepened the kiss.

"No," he whispered, pulling away to look into her eyes intently, "You…" he swallowed hard, looking at her, "You mean so much to me,  _so much_ ," he shook his head, "You…you are my everything. From the moment I met you…my hearts, my soul, my entire being were yours. You are my life. If I ever lost you…"

"You never will," she promised, reaching up to cup his cheek, seeing him being so open, so sincere, so vulnerable and exposed.

"I never want to," he looked at her, a promise in his eyes, "If I ever did… _nothing_  would stop me from finding you…" he kissed the palm of her hand, "Nothing would stop me from  _following_  you."

She gasped lightly before blinking and nodding slightly, she could feel his emotions, they were the same as her own, they were both too possessive for their own good. They knew nothing would happen now, not with their family so strong, all their regenerations ahead of them, but to hear that their feelings were the same...she rested her hand on his right heart a moment before pulling it away to drop a kiss to his chest, "Me either," she reached out and stroked the side of his face, "I love you."

He reached out and lifted her face to his, kissing her for all he was worth.

~8~

The woman was back, the image cutting off, smirking at the tears in Amy's eyes, "Now you've seen the truth for yourself…"

"That wasn't him," Amy breathed, her voice breaking.

"I control the worlds," the woman shook her head, "Not what you do in them."

Amy shut her eyes closed tightly, tears falling from them as she breathed heavily at what she'd heard the Doctor say to the Professor, the emotion behind them, the promise. She had been foolish in believing she ever had a chance with him. She'd told the Professor in Venice that she was sorry for trying to kiss the Doctor, she wasn't. She was sorry it had led to such tensions among their group, but she wasn't sorry for trying…as she had said, he was  _the Doctor_. She'd promised to keep her distance, more of a sense of shame as he was married and she was about to be married, than a true desire to keep away. But now…seeing that…

"You ran away with the handsome hero," the Dream Lady continued as Amy opened her eyes, "And you left your loyal fiancé behind. Such a pity for him…"

And the image cut again.

Amy screamed.

Rory was locked in a small room, on his back, his body arching off the ground as he screamed in pain, twisting and turning, jolting and tensing as pain coursed through him. She couldn't see anything in the room that could hurt him, but something was and, from the look of it, had been for a while.

"Rory!" she shouted, running to the image just as Rory collapsed back to the ground and stopped moving, but, like before, it cut back to the Dream Lady, "Where is he? What are you doing to him? Tell me!"

"Oh, so NOW you want Rory," the woman remarked.

"Shut up!" Amy snapped, angry, "Tell me where he is! Now!"

"The end of the line," she replied and the monitor shut off.

Amy glared and smacked it, before she noticed a door at the end of the hall, an end and a door that hadn't been there before. She quickly ran for it, grabbing the knob and rushing into the room, only to stop short, her mouth falling open, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

Rory was lying on the ground, unmoving.

"Rory!" she ran to his side, dropping to her knees as she tried to shake him awake, praying he was only alseep, knocked out from the pain or strain of what he'd been through, "Rory wake up! Please…" she reached out and pressed her fingers to his neck…he was warm, but there was no pulse, "No…" she breathed, realizing she'd been too late, by mere moments it seemed, "Rory…" tears filled her eyes as she felt her heart constrict, "Rory…" she moved around him, pulling him into her arms, stroking his face, but he didn't move.

He was gone.

She buried her face into his chest, crying.

"How sad," someone said. Her head snapped up to see the woman standing across the small room from her, actually and physically there. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed, watching them, her eyes on Rory, "He was strong, surprisingly so, but the Core was too much for him in the end, it's too much for any human really. Did you know, he stayed true, remained loyal? We wanted information about you, about your weaknesses, your fears, they would have made an excellent addition to the maze," she sighed, "But he wouldn't budge. So,  _so_  loyal...to  _you_ ," she moved her gaze to Amy, "Can you say the same?"

Amy swallowed hard and looked down, ashamed, no she couldn't.

"The physical torture grew boring after a while," the woman sighed, "The screaming grew old," she laughed a bit, "Oh but the emotional torture, the psychological torture, now  _that_  was interesting," Amy glared at her but she continued, "The look on his face when I brought up that kiss you tried to give the Doctor…well…" she smirked, "You tried to give him more than that didn't you?"

Amy winced.

"Can you truly say you'd be loyal to him after you'd wed?" the woman wondered, tilting her head as she eyed Amy as though evaluating her worth and finding her lacking, "The flirt? The kiss-o-gram? Who would run off with the Doctor, and turn her back on her fiancé, if he'd shown her even the slightest hint of returned affection?" she shook her head, "Rory deserves better than you. He deserves someone who would love him."

"I do love him," Amy whispered, crying softly.

And she did, she could feel it now, she knew it. It was true, she  _did_  love Rory. She loved him  _so much_ …and she never  _said_. She never  _told_  him…

Suddenly the door was kicked open and Hexa stormed in, her gun raised and aimed at Amy who looked up, scared, "You tried to take him from me!" the angry woman shouted and Amy just knew she was NOT talking about Rory, "You thought you could  _escape_  me? There is  _nowhere_  you could run that I wouldn't find you!"

Amy's eyes widened at the familiar words and she looked between the two women in the room, realizing what had happened. The Dream Lady…this was a dream…and if the Dream Lady represented the Time Lady…and that woman, Hexa, she recognized her now, from the Atraxi hologram, she was a past incarnation of the Professor…

Hexa lifted her gun higher and aimed it at Amy's head. Amy could only close her eyes, even if this wasn't a dream, this was her  _only_  chance of being with Rory again.

Hexa fired…

~8~

Amy and Rory shot up with a gasp, finding themselves lying on the glass floor of the TARDIS console. Amy's hand immediately went to her forehead while Rory placed a hand on his heart, looking around, shaking, before he noticed Amy, alive and well and beside him, and pulled her into a tight hug as tears filled his eyes. He felt relief course through him as she hugged him back just as tightly when…

"Professor," the Doctor whispered having woken slower than they had, having only fallen asleep in his world to wake up in reality once more. They looked over, watching warily as he rolled to his side, moving to his knees to gently shake the Professor awake. Both took an involuntary swallow as she slowly woke up.

She blinked, pushing herself to a sitting position, staring at nothing in particular for a moment before she closed her eyes tightly, regret and anguish on her face. She took a breath and pushed herself to her feet, half storming over to the console, trying to ignore the flinch of Amy and Rory at her sudden move. She opened a panel just by the rotor and reached in, feeling around before she found what she was looking for and held it in the palm of her hand, staring at it with a dark look.

The Doctor cautiously made his way over to her, looking down at the small specks in her hand. He opened his mouth to say something when she turned and put the specks on the floor, ignoring another flinch from Amy and Rory as she pulled out her blaster and shot the specks, destroying them, before turning and heading for the steps to the halls without so much as a word.

' _Kata,_ ' the Doctor called.

She paused, only a moment, at the top of the steps, ' _Don't Theta,_ ' she whispered back before continuing on.

"Doctor?" Amy asked softly, as soon as she was sure the Professor had left, Rory helping her to her feet as the Doctor moved to lean on the console, checking the monitor to scan the rotor, see if everything was fine, "What was that?"

He sighed, "Specks of psychic pollen from the candle meadows of Karass don Slava," he looked at the rotor, "Must have been hanging around for ages. Fell in the time rotor, heated up, and induced a dream state for all of us."

Amy felt a bit of relief at that, "So…the Dream Lady then…she was just those little specks?"

Rory tightened his grip around her at the mention of the woman.

"No," he closed his eyes tightly, he knew the dreams Amy and Rory had been left in, he'd seen it in the Professor's mind for only a moment when she'd just woken before she'd hidden her thoughts away, but it had been enough, "The Dream Lady  _was_  the Professor," he rubbed his face, "And Hexa...she was the Professor from the war, the soldier the Time Lords turned her into."

Rory shook his head, it didn't make sense, he didn't know who this Hexa woman was, but the other woman, the Dream Lady, she was NOTHING like the Professor, "How?"

"Psychic pollen, it's a mind parasite," he turned to them, grim, "It feeds on everything dark in you. Gives it a voice, turns it against you. The Professor is 905 and…" he swallowed hard, feeling so terrible for her, for what she must be feeling now, "With the war…with what happened to her before, during, and after…" he shook his head, "It had  _a lot_  to go on."

"But why didn't it feed on us, too?" Amy frowned, feeling cross between being frightened of the Professor and sorry for her. To create a world like that, to try and hurt her, to harm Rory like that…she couldn't imagine the hell the Professor must have gone through to be able to create such a world.

"Darkness in you pair?" he gave a little laugh, though one they could tell was forced as he kept glancing at the steps, wanting to check on the Professor, "It would've starved to death in an instant. The Professor and I, we choose our friends with great care."

Rory swallowed a moment, shifting from foot to foot, "So…it was a dream then? All of it?"

The Doctor's gaze grew distant, recalling the world he'd been in, "Yes," he sighed, his hearts breaking just a bit at that fact, "All of it," before he turned and went to look for the Professor. She shouldn't be alone right now, he knew where her mind would take her, what she would be thinking. She needed him.

~8~

The Doctor smiled softly as he stood in the doorway of the music room he'd had the TARDIS make for the Professor. She was sitting on the other end of the room, at her piano-like instrument, her back to the door, silent. He  _knew_  he should have checked there first for her.

He stepped into the room and went to sit beside her on the bench.

"Don't say it," she said after a moment of silence.

"Say what?" he looked at her, but she kept her gaze focused, unseeing, at the keys.

"That it wasn't my fault what happened in the dreams," she said, "That I'm not a monster for putting you all through that…"

"You are NOT a monst…"

"I said don't say it."

"It needs to be said."

She shook her head, "It won't change anything. It won't make it any more true if you do," he looked over, hearing her voice crack, to see tears in her eyes, "God, the things I did to them…" she bowed her head, her shoulders starting to shake. He turned and put his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace, holding her as she cried, "I left Amy alone with all those enemies, when I said I'd protect her. I…I  _tortured_  Rory…I  _killed_  him. I'm so sorry Theta," she whispered, moving to put her arms around him as well, clinging to him, "I hurt you the worst."

He pulled back just a bit to cup her face, "How on Earth did you hurt  _me_?" he looked at her, slightly confused, the dream she'd placed him in…placed them both in...it had been glorious. Yes, it hurt to know those children weren't there, to recall their planet was destroyed, the Daleks were still roaming, it  _did_  hurt...but...to have that moment of peace, of life and happiness back…even for just that moment, even in a dream...to have just that one day of 'what if' and feel like it was real, to believe it...he couldn't regret that.

"I gave you everything you wanted," she closed her eyes tightly, "Gallifrey, our people, the Daleks destroyed, us, a family…and now it's been taken away…it was never  _real_..."

She started to cry harder and he pulled her closer, whispering in her ear, trying his best to soothe her, "I'm so sorry," she whimpered, repeating it over and over.

He stroked her hair, "It's alright Kata," he kissed her head, pulling back again to look her in the eye, his hearts breaking at how broken she looked, "You are NOT a monster," he told her firmly, "A monster wouldn't feel guilt, a monster wouldn't feel sorrow, a monster wouldn't care," he told her, cupping her head in both his hands, "You are the  _farthest_  thing from a monster there is," he wiped a few falling tears with his thumbs, "The psychic pollen is meant to latch onto the darkness inside us, to magnify it,  _you_  had NO control over what happened in those worlds after they were created."

The most she had done was control who went where. A part of her would never have allowed him to come to any harm, and so he'd been sent to a beautiful version of reality, a world she herself had dreamed of at times, where she hadn't let Mayra take him away, where she'd stood up and fought for him. A dream where she'd never become a soldier, the Daleks had been destroyed thus avoiding war, where she could still have him while being an Academic. A part of her was still angry with Amy for what she'd tried to do, had taken her away to a world of their enemies, of dangers, where she'd have to face them alone as a method of making her realize the Doctor wasn't hers, he wouldn't be there at her side forever. That he might one day be torn away from Amy but he'd _never_  let himself be torn away from the Professor. A part of her empathized with Rory, connected to him, associated with him. It brought him to a world where he would be able to relate to her on a different level, where he'd experience much of the same tortures, beatings, doubts that she had during her life.

The psychic pollen just took those feelings and created the worlds to fit to them.  _She_  had no control over what was actually happening. It  _wasn't_  her fault.

"It's  _not_  your fault," he whispered, out loud, to her.

"He's right," Amy's voice said from behind them. They looked over to see Amy and Rory standing in the doorway, Rory's arm around Amy's shoulders as she stood with her arms crossed, "It wasn't your fault."

"We don't blame you," Rory added as they walked in, the two of them having had time to reflect on what teh Doctor had said and what had happened to them, "It was the pollen, and it was every hurt you'd ever felt that it pulled to the surface."

The Professor smiled just a bit at their words, it was one thing to hear it from the Doctor, he always forgave her, but it was another thing to hear it from the others she'd harmed, "I'm still  _so_  sorry," she breathed.

The humans just reached out and hugged her tightly, "There's nothing to be sorry for," Rory told her.

Amy nodded, but she knew what the Professor needed to hear, "But we forgive you."

The Professor let out a little sob at that, hugging them closer as the Doctor joined in, their little group staying strong and pulling together more than ever, for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously felt like the Professor had a bit of split-personality here, so kind to the Doctor, so terrible to Amy and Rory...but that's her in a nutshell I suppose. Loves the Doctor, will hunt you down if you do anything to him.
> 
> I also hope it came across that pretty much every interaction between the Dream Lady and Rory were based on the Professor's past.  
> Scene 1 = the rooms of the training facility with Rory being alone like the Professor was the last Academic left.  
> Scene 2 = electrocuting Rory for answers like with the Krillitanes.  
> Scene 3 = her training, learning to defend herself to better protect the Time Lords, moreso the Doctor.  
> Scene 4 = her own feelings about being second best to Mayra or even Rose, chained up like the Master had her.  
> Scene 5 = I mentioned once that the Academics were worn out to allow their training and conditioning to set in, I imagine a device like this might have been used.  
> Scene 6 = basically just representing all the pain she endured as a child, in training, during the war, in her life. (the agiel was the Legend of the Seeker item)  
> Scene 7 = well...the Core, speaks for itself.
> 
> I feel like it's also a bit more terrifying and chilling that the Professor's Dream Lady has been torturing Rory for Amy's worst fear to add to the maze when Amy was actually already experiencing her worst fear. Based on the God Complex, I took Amy's fear to be waiting and the Doctor not appearing again, leaving her alone. Here, Amy's been waiting for him to come save her and he never shows up.
> 
> This will be the last Professor story to be posted on this site for a while. I've got a lot to catch up on my main FF site. I have a spin-off story for this series, 'Recollections,' and an AU series of a 'what if' the Doctor found the Professor in his 9th incarnation, a rewrite of Series 1, 'Rewritten' up on my FF site. I will NOT be posting them on AO3. They are the sort of side stories and not the main series so this site will be for just the main stories. But if you are interested in reading them, the link to my FF profile is in this AO3 profile too.


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